Yun Che acted as if he hadn't noticed. He waved away the barrier and shouted, "He Lu, bring all the wine in the palace here!"

Shangguan He Lu gave a soft reply. A gentle breeze brushed past, and dozens of jars of ancient, sealed spirit brew landed beside the two men. With a flick of her slender hand, she unsealed one of the jars, and a crisp yet warm fragrance of wine immediately wafted through the air.

The young girl moved with light steps, filling the jade cups before the two men. Then, she wordlessly withdrew, reapplying the barrier.

The amber liquid swayed gently in the jade cup, reflecting Mo Su’s eyes, which were filled with difficult-to-settle emotions. He raised a finger and rested it on the jade cup, his voice faint and ethereal. "A long time ago, I used wine to burn my thoughts and drunkenness to sink into dreams. But when I awoke, there was only deeper emptiness and guilt."

Yun Che looked him straight in the eye. His gaze held none of the reverence the myriad spirits of the Abyss felt when looking up at the Abyss Sovereign; there was only a calmness like water and a faint, caring smile.

"Drinking alone without a companion makes even the finest vintage feel lonely. Admiring beauty without someone to lean on makes even the most glorious moment feel cold. Big Brother, you have ten thousand words in your heart, but they have always remained buried in your chest; naturally, only heartbreak and soul-mourning remain. Now that your younger brother is before you, why not use wine as a guide to speak your heart's song? You can wantonly pour these three million years of loneliness into this single cup of joy."

Mo Su gave a faint, light smile. "Such clever words; you are exactly like Big Brother Ni Xuan¹."

He raised his jade cup, his gaze touching the ripples within. In the sea of his heart, the joy and delight he felt when drinking with Pan Xiaodie back then flickered by. At the time, he thought it was ordinary, but after waking from the dream, there was only the lonely shadow of the cold palace, drinking alone in sorrow.

His eyes grew misty as he murmured a dream-like verse:

"How to sever the grieving heart, How to cross the long night, How to voice the sorrow of longing, How to speak of desolation."

Yun Che also raised his jade cup, still watching him, and spoke in a tone several times more spirited:

"Raise the wine to sever the grieving heart, Pillow the dream to cross the long night, Look to the heavens to voice the sorrow of longing..."

Yun Che thrust his arm forward, clinking his jade cup against the other. The splashing wine seemed to unintentionally wash away the mist in Mo Su’s eyes, their gazes meeting without gap. "And to your brother, speak of desolation."

As his voice fell, Yun Che raised his arm and threw back his head, draining the cup in one gulp.

Mo Su’s gaze paused for a moment. He likewise raised his cup and tilted it back until it was empty.

The smile on Yun Che’s face deepened. He suddenly flicked his wrist, and the jade cup flew far away, shattering into a spray of clear light on the floor. Following this, two large jars of wine landed heavily on the table. Yun Che grabbed one directly, upended it over his head, and began to drink. The liquid splashed everywhere as the sound of thunderous gulping filled the room.

It took nearly ten breaths before the sound stopped and the wine was gone. Yun Che threw the empty jar aside. His face was now flushed deep red, and his eyes carried a hint of turbid haze. He did not use the slightest bit of profound strength to disperse the alcohol. With eyes stained by tipsiness, he looked straight at Mo Su—half-gesturing, half-encouraging, and carrying a hint of undisguised "provocation."

Mo Su narrowed his eyes slightly. His hesitation lasted only half a heartbeat before he, like Yun Che, grabbed a wine jar and drank it over his head... The strong wine poured down his throat, and the intoxication spread through his soul, seemingly stripping away his identity and majesty as the Abyss Sovereign layer by layer in silence.

Bang!

He slammed the empty jar down and let out a long breath. His aura, which was usually elegant and transcendent, was now wrapped in a thick scent of alcohol. Even the way he propped himself against the jar carried a hint of wildness that absolutely should not belong to the Abyss Sovereign.

"Indeed... wanton and refreshing."

He began to laugh. This time, his laughter was almost entirely devoid of divine grace or stiffness. Instead, it carried a touch of sincerity that was too distant, too strange, and too luxurious for him.

Yun Che waved his palm, and another two heavy jars of wine landed before them. Even before being opened, they exuded a mellow, sharp aroma. He smiled and said, "With a brother as a companion and wine as a guide, can I exchange this for Big Brother pouring out the thousand words in his heart?"

Mo Su grabbed the wine jar and took a long swig, but he did not finish it. Instead, he said wistfully, "Thinking back to those years, I relied on Big Brother Ni Xuan immensely. The matters between Xiaodie and me could only be told to him, and I told him everything. I imagine Big Brother Ni Xuan has already told you all of it."

Yun Che did not deny it. "But I would prefer to hear Big Brother tell it personally."

"How could I not know your intent?" Mo Su smiled faintly. "Ten thousand words stagnating in the heart eventually become poison. You aren't asking out of curiosity, but because you want to ease my burden. I imagine this was also a trust Big Brother Ni Xuan placed in you."

Yun Che opened his mouth to say something, but Mo Su continued, "I know Big Brother Ni Xuan told you to live life freely and make choices according to your own heart. However, from the moment I learned your name was given by him, I knew the hidden meaning he harbored."

"Eh?" Yun Che showed a look of surprise. "My name?"

This surprise was not faked at all, because his name truly had nothing to do with Ni Xuan.

"It seems Big Brother Ni Xuan did not tell you."

Mo Su’s voice paused slightly, his gaze growing mistier. He slowly uttered a name: "Xiaodie... her mother, and her maternal clan, used 'Yun'² as their surname."

"..." A genuine, faint surprise surfaced on Yun Che’s brow.

Mo Su continued, "Big Brother Ni Xuan specifically gave you the surname Yun because it held multiple deep meanings—both for you and for me."

After speaking, he grabbed the wine jar and took a long drink. When he raised his eyes, he was looking toward the distance, as if gazing at the ancient shadow of Ni Xuan.

The look of surprise slowly faded from Yun Che’s face. He nodded slightly and let out a sigh of realization. "So that's how it is... Only today did I learn this name held such deep meaning."

In the Era of Gods and Devils, Pan Xiaodie’s status in the Pan Ming clan—and even the entire Devil Race—was extremely high. Even the Pan Ming Mirror of Void Destruction protected her. Thus, her mother and her maternal clan must have been extraordinary.

But...

Yun Che quickly searched his memories. Among the ancient devil clans recorded who were qualified to be near the level of a Devil Emperor, none seemed to have the surname "Yun."

The Heavenly Sky Yun Clan he hailed from was named Yun, but they were merely a struggling remnant of devil descendants. Back then, they could barely survive in the cracks between powers in the Northern Divine Region. If not for his appearance, they might have turned into the dust of history, having nothing to do with the word "powerful."

However, the surviving records regarding the ancient Devil Race were far fewer than those of the Divine Race. Yun Che did not overthink it and instead followed the flow, sighing, "Master once said that Big Brother’s cultivation surged after his travels, but in your first encounter with her, you suffered a defeat. Only later did you learn she was the number one of her generation in the Devil Race... To raise such a remarkable woman, I imagine her mother must have come from the strongest devil clan under the Pan Ming Devil Emperor."

"No," Mo Su said slowly. "Xiaodie’s maternal clan did not serve under Pan Ming, but under the Nine Fiends."

"Nine Fiends..." Yun Che murmured the name, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh? So she was from a devil clan under the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor? It seems the ancient devil clans got along quite well to 'unite' like that."

Mo Su turned his gaze toward him with a half-smile. "It seems you know very little about the affairs of the Devil Race."

Yun Che didn't understand why his ordinary remark caused Mo Su to give such an evaluation. He took a large gulp of wine, let out a heavy burp, and said with a bit of a slur, "It’s more than just a little. Master rarely mentioned the ancient Devil Race to me. Sometimes when I proactively asked, he would deliberately avoid the topic. Over time, I stopped asking."

He continued to himself, "Speaking of the four Devil Emperors who led the ancient Devil Race, I only know... the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had the highest status, the Pan Ming Devil Emperor had the greatest strength, the Nirvana Devil Emperor had the strongest soul power, and the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor... has a very contradictory evaluation. They say he was the weakest in strength, yet happened to be the most terrifying. Speaking of which, Li Suo, the Creation God of Life, fell at the hands of the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor."

After finishing, he shook his head as if confused, then raised his wine jar to clink heavily with Mo Su’s, taking another massive gulp.

Mo Su said, "That evaluation is actually quite accurate."

"Oh?" Yun Che’s face lit up with curiosity.

Mo Su did not hesitate to enlighten him, speaking leisurely, "The Nine Fiends Devil Emperor’s personal power was indeed the weakest of the four Devil Emperors. But while he was weak in himself, he was strong because of the Nine Fiends."

"At the beginning of the Devil Race, the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor separated portions of his own flesh, devil soul, and Nine Fiends power. Each of the Nine Fiends powers became a devil and a lineage, gradually becoming the Nine Fiends Devil Clans under his command."

"Shadow Fiend, Abyss Fiend, Poison Fiend, Blood Fiend, Calamity Fiend, Devourer Fiend, Ember Fiend, Tianluo Fiend, and Guiluo Fiend... the Nine Fiends formed clans, sharing the Emperor's name!"

"Given the special origin and status of the Nine Fiends Devil Clans, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them all direct descendants of the Devil Emperor." Yun Che listened quietly and interjected at the right time. "So the name of the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor was such a special existence. Master said the Creation God of Life, Li Suo, fell to the devil poison of the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor. I imagine... it was his Poison Fiend power?"

Mo Su replied, "Based on the beings and records from the Eternal Pure Land, that is indeed the case."

"The Poison Fiend power could actually kill a Creation God. It seems it must be the strongest among the Nine Fiends powers." Yun Che let out a deep sigh, his mind drifting for a moment.

Back then, the God-Slaying Sky-Poisoning Poison that Jasmine suffered from likely originated from the Poison Fiend power left behind by the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor... A devil poison that had been diluted for a full million years could still easily push the Jasmine of that time into a death trap. How terrifying.

"That is not the case," Mo Su said softly. "The strongest of the Nine Fiends is named Shadow Fiend. Not only the strongest, but also the most special and mysterious existence. That was... Xiaodie’s maternal clan."

Every time he spoke the name "Xiaodie," ripples of long-lasting, unquenchable emotion would tremble in the depths of Mo Su’s pupils. He grabbed the wine jar and drank wantonly again, allowing the dizziness—which he could have easily dispersed—to spread through his body.

Shadow Fiend...

Whether in Yun Che’s memories or Chi Wuyao’s memories, these two words had never existed.

Clearly, it had vanished completely into the dust of the ages following the death of the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor and the end of the Era of Gods and Devils.

"The direct bloodline of the Pan Ming Devil Emperor and the strongest descendant of the Nine Fiends Devil Emperor... No wonder she could be such an extraordinary person. Such a figure, throughout history, I fear only Big Brother could be worthy of her."

Mo Su looked at him... Their gazes met, and Yun Che saw the drunken haze in his eyes, as well as the terrifying obsession embedded within them—one that had not settled even a fraction.

"Yun Che, I know your intent. As your big brother, I feel warm and grateful. But... the karmic sins and grievances between Xiaodie and me are too heavy. There is no longer any room for maneuver or retreat. I will not allow any [person I care about] to be pulled into this. This is true for me, and for her... even more so."

These words meant Yun Che could not press any further... even through seemingly casual probing from the sidelines.

"Fine!" Yun Che responded readily, slamming his arm down as wine splashed everywhere. "Since we are drinking and being merry, we should of course speak of happy things. Big Brother, would you be interested in hearing the many mocking things Master said about you?"

"Hmm?" Mo Su sat up straight all of a sudden. "Big Brother Ni Xuan’s insults were indeed diverse and strange. In the first year he took me traveling, he insulted the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor to no end. As expected, behind his back, he doesn't even spare his own brothers..."

"Hahahaha! Not only does he not spare them, I’m afraid if we drink until tomorrow, I still won't be able to finish repeating them all!"

Mo Su: "..."

…………

"Reporting to Godchild Xi, a Night Patroller from the Eternal Night God Realm seeks an audience." Meng Jianxi turned around abruptly, his brow furrowed deeply. "A Night Patroller? Which one?"

"She calls herself the head of the Eternal Night Night Patrollers. Her title is 'Dark Hunt Owl-Sparrow³.'"

Meng Jianxi’s furrowed brows sank another notch.

Eternal Night and Weaver Dream had just developed a great grudge. With Wuming God King’s temperament, he likely hated them to the bone, a grudge that would only end in death.

At such a time, a Night Patroller actually showed up at the Weaver Dream God Realm on their own initiative.

Who was Shenwu Mingque... Ever since Shenwu Yefeng had been demoted to a sin-slave, she had become the current head of the Night Patrollers in the Eternal Night God Realm, a transcendent figure whose status was second only to Wuming God King.

For her to come personally at this time, and not even to see Meng Kongchan, but to condescend to see him—a Weaver Dream Godchild?

Meng Jianxi fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time.

The man who delivered the message asked, "Should this matter be reported to the God King and the Head Hall Master first?"

"Mm." Meng Jianxi nodded slowly in thought. "Of course we must... Wait!"

He suddenly thought of something, and his gaze became sharp.

"Go quickly and invite the honored guest in; settle her in the main hall. Tell her I have matters outside and am rushing back at full speed... Additionally, there is no need to specifically inform Father and the others of this."

After giving the orders, Meng Jianxi dropped everything he was doing and headed straight for Yun Che’s Godchild Palace.

Since returning from the Pure Land, Meng Kongchan had been busy with the matters of the Eternal Pure Land. Internal affairs were almost entirely handled by Meng Jianxi. He basically had no time for anything else, and naturally hadn't done anything to draw the side-eye of other realms.

The only exception he could think of was that dragon-shaped profound crystal Yun Che had given him.